Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: Leandro Damiao Is Still Really Good

Unfinished Blog Post: Pitchers are apparently born dumb

I start and stop lots of blog posts before you see the magic that appears on the screen before you. I get these ideas and then I abandon them for no apparent reason, or I'll have a draft saved somewhere and then I'll never finish it. Here's one that I could've sworn that I finished, but I found left unpublished, alone and helpless in cyberspace.

The gist of it was that there were a couple of news articles that came out when Bud Black was first hired about pitchers being dumb by virtue of the fact that few pitchers had gone on to successful careers as managers of baseball clubs.

Catchers on the other hand rule the roost. Catchers are smart and become great managers. Pitchers that are smart and become great managers are few and far between, Tommy Lasorda being notable as one of the successful ones.

I had planned on going through different works of baseball fiction to try to figure out who the "dumb" one was.

The list I had in my mind back in 2007:

  1. Roy Hobbs from the Natural - Dumb and naive as a pitcher. Wiser as a hitter. Does something dumb shortly after throwing a pitch in practice.
  2. Nuke LaLoosh from Bull Durham - Dumb as a rock. His catcher? Super-ass wise.
  3. Kit Keller from A League of Her Own - Oh sweet Kit. Not as hot/smart/talented/wise as her older sister Dottie who also happens to play catcher and basically run the Rockford Pitchers while Jimmy Dugan was snorting coke in the men's room. Incidentally, the other starter for the peaches was Ellen Sue Gotlander who was a former Miss Georgia. Just saying.
  4. Henry Wiggen from the Mark Harris novels (notably Bang the Drum Slowly) - Sure. He's an author and seems bright enough, but who truly learns from who when catcher Bruce Pearson is diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease? Who learns from who?
  5. Billy Chapel from For Love of the Game -  I was planning vaguely saying something about Clear the Mechanism, but I'm not sure what. Isn't it weird that Sam Raimi directed that movie? Sam Raimi did Evil Dead.
  6. Kenny DeNunez from the Sandlot - I have no idea where I could've gone with that one.
  7. Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn from Major League franchise - That one's a gimme.

And so on and so on.

I give it to you now in all its glory, after the jump. Fair warning, there's not a whole lot there and I probably should've just made the list off the top of my head and pushed publish back in 2007. But this is what happens. Enjoy!

Star-divide

Two stories about pitchers being the dumb today and then mentioning Bud Black. There's something subversive going on here. Here's a quote from Lasorda, who was a former pitcher (via Rocky Mountain News):

"I said, 'Don't let the pitchers down,' " Lasorda said. " 'Do well and do a great job of representing us pitchers.' He called to thank me and said, 'I'll do my best.' I said, 'I know you will. But just remember one thing. If you do well, then they'll think about other pitchers becoming managers.' "

And then another article.

"I don't know how it works," said Padres future Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux. "A pitcher shakes off a catcher's signs 20 times a game. Ten years later, the catcher's a manager and you're not. Figure that one out."

I'll be honest when I say that I never really thought about it, but I guess pitchers really are dumb. Idiots... The lot of them.

The Natural:

Roy Hobbs starts his career as a ridiculously good pitcher. What does he do? Right after going and accepting the first contract offer on his doorstep he knocks up his next door neighbor. He then shamelessly flirts with some spooky looking chick with mental issues and gets himself shot.

You notice how after he comes back and becomes the greatest hitter ever, he's no longer a dummy? He's been wizened. That's because he's not a pitcher anymore and pitchers are idiots. Right after he pitches batting practice in the movie is when he starts doing really stupid things again.

Bull Durham:

Comment 6 comments  |  3 recs  | 

Do you like this story?

Comments

Display:

Are you referring to Jake Peavy...

breaking his ribs celebrating a playoff spot?

great write up.

Oh internet, what a wicked web you weave.

by Mad_Villain on Feb 11, 2010 3:09 AM PST reply actions  

It's all a matter of perspective

Pitchers are not necessarily dumb, though throwing a baseball to a really strong guy with a bat, then standing in the middle of where he could possibly hit it is not going to drop your life insurance premiums any. It’s all about perspective, the pitchers, the catchers, and the rest of the team’s. The pitcher is looking at the catcher most of the time. The catcher is looking out at everything going on on the field. The other players are looking at both, but mostly at the catcher, since that’s where the ball will come from, plus the pitcher is mostly showing them his backside. Now, if you could hire a pitcher’s ass to manage, that would probably work out great.

"And now for something completely different"

by Boilermaker19 on Feb 11, 2010 6:50 AM PST reply actions  

I saw "Unfinished" at the top of the page

and thought I was at “Uncommon” Sportsman for a second. I’m apparently not all the way awake yet.

RJ's Fro - "Fro" Knows Baseball

.400 in '94 - Showcasing Padres Merch Through the Years

by SDPads_1 on Feb 11, 2010 8:24 AM PST reply actions  

I refreshed like 5 times

need to cut back on the baking after waking

And I've been into the plants and simple treasures

by CurbEnthusiasm on Feb 11, 2010 9:22 AM PST reply actions  

Pitchers are also

not athletes. Any hitting coach will tell you that. Being an nonathletic dummy sure must be difficult. Maybe that’s why the wind-up is like a chicken dance.

by red_jekkyls on Feb 11, 2010 10:36 AM PST reply actions   1 recs

I like it.

I think you need an intern.

Isn't it enough to know that I ruined a pony making a gift for you? ◔ヮ◔
Uncommon Sportsman :: Absurdity in play

by Axion on Feb 11, 2010 12:16 PM PST reply actions  

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Cognitively aware of the San Diego Padres since about 1980-1981... Fans since '76.

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recent FanPosts

Ss1095_small
Gaslamp Fantasy Ball is Live!
Img_0065__1__small
GLB Meetup at Fan Fest2012
Lexiandnathantennis_small
Ballpark Experience
The_show_i_believe_small
Padres Little League Initiative Makes Me Wish I Was a Little Leaguer
Logos_small
New ballpark for USD
Untitled_small
What if: the Padres Weren't Called the Padres?
Beatla_small
Dream Diary - The Top Hat
Small
Alex "sell-out" Smith
Diveflag_small
Gonzo on the cover of MLB 2012 The Show
Dont-panic-thumb_small
Josh Byrnes Tweetup Recap

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >


Managers

Kinghippo_small Dex

Untitled_small jbox